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In response to a group writing project over at problogger, I wanted to put together a top 5 list of [tag]minor league ballplayers[/tag] who should get called up to the big leagues in ‘07, but who haven’t had their cup of coffee yet. Now, before I start getting e-mails about your favorite prospect and how I left them off this list (go ahead and fire off your email’s, I can take it), let me tell you that I am ranking this list on current statistics, not overall upside. These five guys have terrific upside, but they may not be the best prospects available. They’re just doing the best so far in 2007. Keep an eye on these guys and grab them when they come up. For those of you in really deep mixed leagues, some of these players are available now on Yahoo.

1. [tag]Ryan Braun[/tag] | AAA Nashville | Milwaukee Brewers - Braun is absolutely crushing the ball so far in ‘07. He’s averaging .358/.426/.716 with 8 home runs and 17 RBI with 3 stolen bases to boot. Braun’s bat has never been the question for the Brewers, it’s his glove. When his defense if MLB ready, you can expect he’ll find his way to the hot corner in Milwaukee.
2. [tag]Yovani Gallardo[/tag] | AAA Nashville | Milwaukee Brewers - It’s a race of sorts to see who the Brewers call up first, Gallardo or Braun (My guess is Gallardo). Gallardo is 4-1 with a 2.19 ERA so far. But these next numbers are what really impress me. His WHIP is 0.86 and he has a strikeout to walk ratio of 51:11. Wow!
3. [tag]Kevin Slowey[/tag] | AAA Rochester | Minnesota Twins - With a name like Slowey, you’d better be something special on the mound. Well, Kevin is just that. He’s 3-1 so far this year with a 1.38 ERA, a 0.71 WHIP and a 31:2 strikeout to walk ratio.
4. [tag]Adam Miller[/tag] | AAA Buffalo | Cleveland Indians - With the way Miller is hurling this year, the Tribe has been sending out trade feelers to the Yanks regarding Paul Byrd. Miller is 4-0 with a 2.43 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP. His strikeout to walk ratio is 37:13.
5. [tag]Evan Longoria[/tag] | AA Montgomery | Tampa Bay Devil Rays - With the emergence of Akinori Iwamura in Tampa, the team can give Longoria some extra time to develop in the minors. But, if he continues to kill AA pitching he’ll be promoted quickly. He’s hitting .315/.446/.541 with 6 home runs and 23 RBI.

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 10th, 2007 at 1:18 pm and is filed under Minor League, Prospects. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.